Acetylene-gas-generating lamp.



N0. 638,221. Patentad D90. 5, 1899. H. ELDRIDGE. ACETYLENE GASGENERATING LAMP.

(Application filed Apr. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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I-IILLIARY ELDRIDGE, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

ACETYLEN E-GAS-G EN ERATING LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,221, dated December5, 1899.

Application filed April 26, 1899. Serial No. 714,569. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, HILLIARY ELDRIDGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State ofTexas, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Lamp, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators of thatclass wherein the charge of calcium carbid is contained in a magazinefree from the influence of moisture and is dropped in regulatedquantities into a bell of attacking liquid for the production ofacetylene gas.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a generator especiallyadapted for service as a portable table-lam p, although the principlesofthe invention may be availed of in construction of devices for usegenerally in the production of acetylene gas. A portable gas-lamp, itshould be noted, requires the elements to be made of compact simpleconstruction for easy handling and movement, and the parts should becapable of ready separation and assemblage to facilitate renewal of thecarbid-supply and cleansing of the tank from the carbid residue.

One of the leading features of my invenoutlet of a limited quantity ofcarbid when the bell descends approximately to the limit of itslowermost travel, whereby the carbid is dropped into the bath for theresumption of gas-generation on a reduction of the available gas-supplyin the apparatus.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a skirt below thecarbid-magazine and connected with the bell to travel therewith at allperiods of its movement, said skirt being arranged to intercept the gasas it ascends from the bath, so as to condense the aqueous vapors whichare contained in the heated gas, and said skirt also intercepting thecarbid as it is dropped from the magazine in order to uniformlydistribute the carbid in the water-bath for the attainment of maximumefficiency in the generation of the gas.

The apparatus also includes devices by operatively to the bell forremoval therewith in order to place the apparatus in a condition foreasy cleaning of the tank and the expeditious renewal of the carbidsupply in the magazine, and also to provide means for regulating thetravel of the movable magazine and the bell, and also to promoteconvenience in the manipulation and control of the working elementswhich constitute the apparatus.

The invention further consists in. the novel combinationof elements andin the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinaftermore fully described and claimed.

To enable othersto understand the invention, I have illustrated thepreferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming apartof this specification, and in WlllGl1 Figure 1 is a verticalsectional elevation of an acetylene-gas generator constructed inaccordance with the principles of myinvention and illustrating thefioatable bell in its raised position. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalelevation of the fioatable bell with the attached parts removed from thetank of the apparatus and fitted to a supporting-stand in a manner whichpermits removal of the bell from the carbid-magazine, so as toconveniently renew the charge of carbid in said magazine. Fig. 3 is adetail plan view of the carbid-magazine removed from the carrying-stem,and other parts of the generator.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like andcorresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying my invention into practice I employ a stationary tank 5,which is constructed to form an independent water-chamber and asurrounding seal-chamber, and with this tank is combined a fioatablegas-bell, which, as in some types of apparatus, carries thecarbid-magazine. The magazine of my apparatus, however, is distinguishedfrom the general class of devices in this art in that the magazine isadapted to seat itself within the tank against continued downwardmovement with the gas-bell on areduction of the available gas-supply,and with this magazine is associated a valve device, which moveswith thebell in all periods of its travel, whereby the valve device opens themagazine for discharging a limited quantity of carbid therefrom whensaid magazine comes to a period of rest, thus dropping the carbid in thebath of the attacking liquid which is contained within the tank.

The tank 5 is constructed as shown more clearly by Fig. 1, and itincludes a bottom 6 and concentric shells 7 7, said shells being unitedto the bottom by flanges and soldered joints in order to produce a gasand water tight structure. It will be understood, however, that thedetailed construction of the tank may be varied within wide limits by askilled constructor. The inner shell 7 forms within the tank achamber 8,which is adapted to be partially filled with water as the bath forattacking the carbid to produce acetylene gas, and this shell 7 isarranged concentric with the shell 7 to provide a seal-chamber 9, whichis independent of the chamber 8 and surrounds the latter for the purposeof receiving a sufficient quantity of water to form a seal for thefioatable gas-bell. Said gas-bell 10 consists of a suitable shell and ahead 10, which is shown by the drawings as having the flange andthreaded connection with the shell. The bell is thus closed at its upperend and open at its lower end, and said open and lower end of the bellis inverted within the sealchamber 9 of the tank, thus adapting the bellto travel freely within the water seal of the tank under the variationsin the volume of gas stored or contained in the apparatus.

The seal-chamber 9 of the tank is designed to be filled with water to aconsiderable level above the water in the bath-chamber 8, and as aconvenient means for supplying water to the seal-chamber I have providedthe fillingspout 12, which is attached to the outside of the tank-shell7, near the upper end thereof. The filling-spout has a broad open end inwhich the water may be conveniently poured, and communication betweenthis spout and the seal-chamber 9 is established by a port 13, which isin the shell 7'near the bottom of the spout. To enable the apparatus tobe easily handled or moved from one place to another, I provide the tank5 with handles 11 of any suitable construction and which are attached tothe outer shell 7 thereof, and in like mannet the floatable gas-bell 10is provided at its upper end with handles 14,which project outwardlyfrom said bell and are disposed in positions to avoid interference withthe travel of the bell '10 within the seal-chamber of the tank.

The floatable gas-bell is constructed for the reception of a stem whichis adapted to carry the carbid-magazine and the flared skirt, and thisstem is fastened to the head of the hell by clamping devices whichproduce agas-tight joint between the stem and bell-head and at the sametime permit the ready removal of the bell when it is desired to rechargethe magazine with a fresh supply of active carbid. The head 10 of thefloatable bell is provided with a central aperture 15, through which ispassed the upper extremity of the stem 16. Said stem is disposedcentrally Within the floatable bell, and its upper end is provided withan external or male screw-thread 17, said screw-thread extending a partof the length of'said stem, as clearly shown by Figs. 1 and 2. Tofacilitate the en trance of the threaded end of said stem 16 into theaperture of the bell-head in assembling the parts together, I employ aconical guide 18. This guide is fixed to the lower base or side of thebell-head in any suitable way, and it is fashioned to surround thecentral aperture 15 in the bell. A conical jam-nut 19 is screwed on thethreaded end 17 of the central stem, and this jam-nut is adapted to fitsnugly in the conical guide 18 of the bell. A gasket 20 is fitted on thethreaded stem 16 and bears against the upper face of the head 10, and anut 21 is screwed on said stem to bear upon the gasket 20. It will benoted that the conical nut 19 bears against the guide 18, whichsurrounds the aperture 15, and the gasket 20 is adapted to be pressedbetween the head and the nut 21, whereby the two nuts coact in fasteningthe stem to the bell, and the gasket is compressed tightly around theaperture 15 for the purpose of making a gas-tight joint between the stemand the bell-head.

One of the leading features of my portable gas-generator is the magazine22, which is flared or of inverted-conical construction, and thismagazine is fitted loosely on the central stem 16, so as to travel withthe stem and bell under certain conditions,and at the same time themagazine is adapted to seat itself within the tank against continueddownward movement with the stem and the bell. The flared magazine isprovided ator near its upper edge with an annular ledge or rim 24, whichprotrudes beyond the face of the magazine, and this ledge or rim is of adiameter greater than the internal diameter of the inner shell 7 forminga part of the tank 5, whereby in the descent of the magazine with thestem and bell the flange or rim 24 is adapted to rest upon thetank-shell 7" in a manner to arrest the continued downward movement ofthe magazine with the stem 16, which travels with the bell. The magazineis provided at its upper end with a transverse guide-bar 25, arrangedcentrally across the upper open end of said magazine and fastenedsecurely at its ends to the flange or rim 24, and this guidebar isenlarged at its middle to provide for the formation of theguide-aperture 26 therein.

As the guide-bar is fastened securely to the magazine it presents thecentral vertical hole 26 in a position for the stem 16 to pass freelytherethrough, and said bar thus serves as the means for loosely andslidably connecting the magazine to the carrying-stem 16, so that themagazine will be held in proper position on the stem and at the sametime it is free to rest upon the tank for the stem to continue itsvertical travel with the floatable bell.

c'ssfaal a 27 designates a disk which constitutes the bottom of theflared magazine and as a valve therefor. The flared magazine 22 is openat its small end, and the disk 27 is fast with the central stem 16, soas to travel therewith at all times. The disk is arranged on thestandard16 at a point below the magazine, and said magazine is adapted to haveits lower end rest directly upon the disk, whereby the gravity of themagazine and the carbid charge or load therein causes the magazine underordinary circumstances to be seated upon the valvedisk 27.

To limit the vertical movement of the stem with relation to thecarbid-magazine when the latter is seated within the tank 5 to occupy astationary position therein, I provide a stop 28, which is fixed to thestem 16 at a point above the cross-bar 25 of the magazine, and this stopis preferably in the form of a nut, which is screwed on the threadedpart 17 of the stem 16. The stop 28 occupies a distance above the valve27 greater than the depth of the carbid-magazine, and the guide-bar 25is adapted to abut against this stop when the magazine is seated withinthe tank, and the stem and stop continue to descend with the fioatablehell on a reduction of the gas-supply, whereby the valve 27 is adaptedto be carried by the stem away from the lower open end of the magazineto discharge the carbid therefrom.

The flared skirt 29 is arranged below the carbid-magazine, and it isconnected with the central stem 16 to travel therewith at all times. Theflared skirt is arranged in a position reversed to the taper or conicityof the magazine, and the lower end of said skirt is of a diametersomewhat less than the internal diameter of the shell 7*, forming a partof the tank,thns providinga free space around the edge of the skirt andthe inner surface of the tank-shell '7 for the passage of gas. As shownby the drawings, the flared skirt 29 has its upper end made fast withthe valvedisk for the attachment of the skirt to the stem; but it isevident that the valve and the skirt may be attached individually to thestem. Said skirt lies immediately below the valve and is contiguous tothe carbid-magazine, and thus the skirt is disposed in a position tointercept the carbid as it drops from the magazine and before it passesinto the bath contained in the chamber 8, whereby the skirt serves tochange the course of the carbid as it is dropped and is made to operateas a distributer in order to uniformly deposit the carbid in the bathfor the attainment of maximum efficiency. This skirt is, furthermore,made of hollow form to present a broad area of condensing-surface in thepath of the ascending gas, and thus the skirt is made to intercept thegas for the latter to impinge against the surface of the skirt to effectthe condensation of the aqueous vapors which are contained in the heatedgas as it ascends from the water-bath.

The head of the gas-bell is furnished with a gas-outlet valve 30, whichis tapped in the bell to communicate with the chamber there of, and saidgas-valve is provided with a threaded nipple 31, which is adapted forthe attachment of a burner or of devices which convey the gas from thevalve to the burner. In the portable type of apparatus adapted forservice as a table-lamp the burner and accessory parts may be mountedupon the head of the bell in any suitable way, said burner beingsuitably connected with the nipple 31, or the burner may be screweddirectly to the nipple, as desired.

A vent-cock 32 is also attached to the gasbell for the purpose ofpermitting air to es cape from the bell when the apparatus is first setin operation.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the carrying-stemserves to connect the magazine and the condensing-skirt to the head ofthe bell, and all of these parts are thus mutually adapted for removalfrom the tank when the bell is lifted out of place. The removal of thebell is for a twofold purposenamely, to enable convenient access to beobtained to the chamber 8 for cleansing the same of the spent residuetherein and for rechargin the carbid-magazine. In this connection it isdesirable to employ means by which the magazine may be easily andreadily refilled, and it should be noted that the stem is fitted orconnected removably to the head of the bell. As a means for supportingthe magazine in position convenient for refilling the same I employ asupporting-stand 33, which may be located at any convenient point-as,for instance, on a table or shelf. (See Fig. 2.) The supporting-stand isprovided with a vertical socket or opening, (indicated by the numeral34,) and the head of said stand has a flared mouth 35, whichcommunicates with the-vertical socket 34.

The operation may be described as follows: For charging the magazine 22with carbid the bell and its contained parts are lifted from the tank 5and the stem 16 is fitted in the socket of the supporting-stand 33, (seeFig. 2,) the flared mouth of said stand serving to direct the lowerextremity of the stem 16 into the vertical stand-socket. The stem passesinto the stand a sufficient distance for the upper end or head thereofto rest against the flared skirt 29, thus furnishing a secure supportfor the stem and the magazine. The operator now proceeds to remove thenut 21 and the gasket 20 from the threaded protruding end of the stem,and the entire bell may then be readily lifted off the stem, thusexposing the carbid-magazine 22 to easy access. In

the portable type of apparatus herein described I find it advantageousto employ pulverized calcium carbid, because it is found that carbid inthis condition will be attacked more quickly by water and the operationof generating acetylene gas is thus facilitated. Powdered carbid isdeposited in the magacure the stem and bell together by a gas-- tightjoint. Previous to replacing the bell the operator should pour a properquantity of water into the chamber 8 to provide a bath for attacking thecarbid when thesame is dropped, and the chamber 9 should be filled withwater by pouring the same through the spout 12 until the water-level isabove the port 13. The tank is now in condition to receive the floatablebell, and the valves 30 32 having been opened the operator can adjustthe bell and its contained parts to the tank by allowing the bell toenter the chamber 9. As the bell settles in the tank the air is free toescape through the valves 32; but just before the magazine 22 engageswith or seats itself on the tank the operator should close 1 the valve32 against the continued escape of air, but the valve 30 should beopened for any air remaining in the bell to escape through thegas-burner. As the bell continues to settle the flange or rim 24 of themagazine will rest upon the tank-wall 7 a and the continued movement ofthe magazine with the stem 16 is thereby arrested. The stem 16 and thebell are capable of a limited vertical movement within the tank afterthe magazine is arrested or seated and until the stop 28 abuts againstthe guide-bar 25 of said magazine, and this continued movement of thestem withdraws the valve 27 from the magazine, thus opening the lowerpart'of the magazine to the escape of the carbid contained therein. Thecarbid impinges or falls against the flared skirt 29, which thus servesto dis tribute the carbid within the chamber 8 of the tank, and owing tothe decomposition of the carbid and water acetylene gas is at onceproduced. This gas rises from the bath and impinges against theflaredskirt 29, so that the aqueous vapors are condensed therein, and theoperator should now close the valve 30 in order to confine the gaswithin the floatable bell. The bell is raised by the accumulation of gastherein, and as the bell begins its upward movement the rod 16 and valve27 are lifted, so that the valve engages the lower end of the magazineto cut off the continued outflow of carbid therefrom. The magazine isseated upon the valve 27 in order to travel in an upward direction withthe stem 16 and the skirt with the bell, so under normal conditions themagazine and skirt will both move with the stem and the bell, asrepresented by Fig. 1. On a reduction of gassupply within the floatablebell due to consumption of gas at the burner the bell will again descenduntil the magazine 22 seats itself within the tank in order to againdischarge carbid to the bath for renewing the generation of gas, andthis operation will be repeated indefinitely until the charge of carbidin the magazine shall have become exhausted.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In anac'etylenegas generator, a carbidmagazine adapted to travel undercertain conditions with a floatable bell and to seat itself within atank against continued movement with said bell, and means for openingthe magazine for the outlet of carbid therefrom when thus seated withinthe tank, substantially as described.

2. An acetylene-gas generatorconsistin g of a tank, a floatable bell, acarbid-magazine connected slidably with said bell to move therewith inits vertical travel and adapted to seat itself within the tank againstcontinued downward movement of said bell therein, and means arranged totravel with the bell under all conditions and adapted to open acarbidoutlet from said magazine when the latter is seated Within thetank, substantially as described.

3. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a tank, a floatable bell, avalve-seat connected to the bell to travel therewith under allconditions, and a magazine normally seated on the valve and adapted toseat itself within the tank against continued downward movement with thebell and the valve-seat, substantially as described.

4. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a tank, a floatable bell, astem provided with a valve and connected to the bell to travel therewithunder all conditions, a magazine slidably fitted to the stem and seatedon the valve, said magazine adapted to seat itself upon the tank againstcontinued downward movement with the stem and valve, substantially asdescribed.

5. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a tank, a floatable bell, avalve connected to said bell to travel therewith under all conditions,and a magazine normally seated by gravity upon the valve and arranged toseat itself within or uponthe tank against contin ued downward movementof the valve with the bell,whereby the valve is withdrawn from themagazine as the bell approaches the limit of its lowest travel withinthe tank, substantially as described.

6. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a tank, a floatable bell, astem attached to said bell and provided with a valve, a magazine seatedupon the valve to travel with the stem of the bell, and a stop arrangedto limit the descent of the stem and bell subsequent to the seating ofthe magazine within the tank, substantially asdescribed.

7. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a tank, a floatable bell, astem attached to said bell and provided with a valve, a magazine seatedby gravity upon the valve and provided with a guide which is fittedslidably to the stem, and a stop attached to the stem and adapted toengage with the magazineguide, substantially as described.

8. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a tank, a fioatable bell, acarbid-magazine slidably mounted within the bell to travel therewithunder certain conditions and adapted to seat itself within the tankagainst continued downward movement with said bell, and a skirtconnected with the bell and situated below said magazine to interceptcarbid as it is discharged therefrom, substantially as described.

9. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a floatable bell,of a stem attached thereto, a magazine slidably mounted on the stem, anda skirt situated below said magazine, and connected operatively withsaid stem, substantially as described.

10. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a tank, a floatable bell, astem secured removably to said bell, a magazine fitted slidably to thestem, and a skirt fastened to the stem independently of the bell, saidstem and its attached parts being removable with the bell from the tank,and said bell adapted to be detached from the stem to expose themagazine, substantially as described,

11. In an acetylene-gas generator, a floatable bell provided with aflared guide, a stem passing through said guide and the bell-head, andmeans for detachably fastening the bell and stem to secure a gas-tightjoint, in combination with a tank, and a magazine carried by and fittedslidably'on the stem, substantially as described.

12. An acetylene-gas generator consisting of a double-Walled tank havingthe independent bath and seal chambers, a floatalole bell provided withthe vent and gas cocks, a stem secured removably to said bell andprovided with a valve-disk, a carbid-magazine slidably fitted to thestem and seated upon the valvedisk, and a skirt fast with the stem belowthe carbid magazine, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HILLIARY ELDRIDGE.

Witnesses:

E. R. OHEEsBoRoUcH, B. I. WILLcoXoN.

